


Unreality: System Failure

by pemini



Category: NCT (Band), NCT Dream
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Horror, Angst, Crimes & Criminals, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Gen, Heavy Angst, Horror, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Male Friendship, Psychological Horror, Survival Horror, Video Game AU, Violence, virtual reality au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:26:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21705934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pemini/pseuds/pemini
Summary: Welcome to Unreality, where dreams meet reality! Unreality is a virtual reality game developed by Neo Culture Technology where players are given the ability to construct their ideal life through their dreams. Using the Unreality Headset provided with the purchase of the game, you will find yourself living your dream life within mere seconds! Meet other real life players, build relationships, live in your dream home, party from dusk till dawn, live the life you’ve been dying to live! Make your dreams your reality.
Kudos: 3





	1. Welcome to Unreality

**Author's Note:**

> okay hi! so this is an ongoing work that i started on tumblr (im also pemini on there) as an interactive fic. there's no option to contribute to the voting here, if you want to vote check my tumblr! thats why there'll be options that u cant rly interact with on here, but on tumblr u can vote n stuff. updates take like.. really really long bc of school and also waiting for the voting to slow down, so pls be patient! also if everything looks clapped im sorry idrk how to navigate ao3 that well lmao
> 
> the first few chapters will follow jaemin, jeno, renjun, mark and donghyuck as they navigate their way throughout the game. chenle and jisung join later on. throughout the story they will be faced with events that will test their friendship, their trust in one another, and how far they would go to uncover the truth, or hide it. 
> 
> constructive criticism or like any feedback is v v v welcome <3

_Welcome to Unreality, where dreams meet reality! Unreality is a virtual reality game developed by Neo Culture Technology where players are given the ability to construct their ideal life through their dreams. Using the Unreality Headset provided with the purchase of the game, you will find yourself living your dream life within mere seconds! Meet other real life players, build relationships, live in your dream home, party from dusk till dawn, live the life you’ve been dying to live! Make your dreams your reality._

Please read the rules _THOROUGHLY_ before beginning. 

\- To ensure your safety and the safety of the people around you, only play Unreality once you are alone. Preferably while lying down. 

\- Do not leave the game before saving. Your progress will be deleted from our database and you will need to restart your game. 

\- Leave the game if you experience feelings of nausea, anxiety, paranoia, etc. These feelings are rarely experienced but may be caused by potential sensory overload. 

\- Be polite. Disrespect of any form will not be tolerated and may result in a temporary ban from the game. 

\- Choose wisely. Every action has its consequences, no matter how insignificant it may seem. 

_REMINDER_ :

\- Users you befriend in Unreality may not be who they seem to be. This is a virtual reality game, changes in appearance are possible. 

\- Reality is not as stable as it seems. 

_Shall we play?_

> YES

> NO


	2. 4:01 PM

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything was so perfect, it was wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (no warnings for this chapter!)
> 
> Some options reveal secrets that may be useful in the future. The secret score is currently 0/?. The secret score will be updated in the beginning of each chapter, based on how many secrets were collected in the past chapters.

> USER #JAEMIN HAS ENTERED UNREALITY_SERVER1

> 4:01PM

< Hello, #JAEMIN! Welcome to Unreality, enjoy your stay! >

Jaemin could see the colour of time. When he opened his eyes, greeted by the light blue hues breezing into the room he found himself in, he knew it was 4PM. He was in his bedroom, he designed it specifically for the game. It was more spacious than his real bedroom. Much emptier. It only held a bed, a dresser, and a small couch. He shivered despite the warmth of the interior and took a mental note to redecorate. 

Everything was so perfect, it was wrong. The light spilled from the window in consecutive beams, illuminating every corner of the room. The view were of houses just like Jaemin’s. Identical, in fact. The same pastels and perfectly mowed lawns. Jaemin tried to brush off his uneasiness. It was a game. Games are created by humans. Humans are used to imperfection, but crave the opposite, its only natural to eliminate all imperfections in a game thats main goal is to put your perfect world on a platter for your enjoyment.

Jaemin had convinced his best friends, Jeno and Renjun, to buy Unreality. All three of them were devoted gamers, always up to date on new video games and technology. They’d form an obsession over whatever game everyone would be raging over and play it religiously until a new game took its spot on the charts. Everything was temporary, and they’d expected Unreality to be the same. 

> Jaemin, two unknown users are knocking on your door. Choose your action carefully.

> OPEN THE DOOR

> IGNORE

Jaemin’s brows furrowed at the usage of the word “carefully”, knowing Jeno and Renjun were the ones at the door. They planned to meet up and explore the town the three of them chose to live in on the game. Although, the game’s rules and reminders section did strike him as strange, coming off as too aggressive of a ‘stranger danger!’ warning for a life simulation game. 

“Open the door.” He replied, as he left his room in search for the entrance of his house. He quickly found the front door, living room and kitchen. They were just as empty as his bedroom. The in-game choices were voice controlled, leaving space for misunderstanding, so Jaemin braced himself for the opposite his orders.

> #JAEMIN chose to OPEN THE DOOR.

“Took you long enough” Renjun chuckled as he stepped into Jaemin’s home, Jeno by his side. “I expected your house to be more, colourful?” He muttered as he looked around, his eyes eventually landing on the fridge and his body following.

“So, how’re you liking it here so far?” Jeno questioned before throwing himself at the navy blue couch situated in the middle of the living room. Jaemin sat next to him and rested his head on his shoulder. A headache was forming in the back of his head.

“I don’t know, I don’t think I like this town. It’s too quiet. And empty. And there are no people walking their dogs, what’s up with that?” He knew it was too early to form a conclusive opinion, but he was so used to the barking of his neighbour’s dogs, the birds, the loud children who’d come out to play at 5PM (5PM is an opalescent orange, with shy yellows and a barely there blue in harmony every so often) and the occasional conversation he’d hear from outside his window once someone was passing by, that the silence was unsettling. The town was too quiet. The clock was ticking. There was a flicker of orange that he would have missed if he hadn’t practiced not to. 

“The game’s new, there aren’t that many players yet.” Said Jeno, closing his eyes. “You’re gonna regret complaining about the quiet when everyone in town has three parties daily.”

“Open your eyes you loaf, you sleep all day in real life, I’m not letting you sleep that much in fake life, too.” Jaemin teased, repeatedly poking at Jeno’s cheeks. Instead of a swat of the hand or a death glare, he received a whiny “I miss my cats”.

“Yo, what do you need twenty whole cups of iced coffee for?” Jaemin’s head shot up, turning to look at Renjun, who was rummaging through the fridge.

“He’s addicted.” Answered Jeno, who’s eyes were still closed. Jaemin had already made his way to the fridge and chugged down half a cup of coffee, Renjun staring at him with his jaw wide open the entire time. “I wonder if there’s a rehab center here and if they offer help for caffeine addicts.”

“I wonder if marriage to a beverage is legal here.” Sighed Jaemin, which only made Renjun’s jaw drop further. Jaemin placed his hand under Renjun’s chin and shut his mouth for him, making Renjun reach his arm out and begin to choke him as they both laughed. 

“Shit, what time is it?” Asked Jeno, eyes frantically scanning the room as he stood up. 

“Like, 4:15, I think.” Replied Jaemin, banging at Renjun’s arm which was still wrapped around his neck. “Why?” 

“There’s some sort of questionnaire all players have to do at the town square. I don’t remember what it’s for, probably game preferences or about our experience so far?” Jeno recalled, he joined the two boys at the fridge. “We have to be there in half an hour.” 

“We could leave in the next twenty minutes and make it on time, but I kinda wanted to check out the area before it got too dark.” Pondered Renjun as he grabbed a cup of coffee from the fridge. He took a sip, his eyes widened and he stifled a cough before shoving the drink into Jeno’s hands and running to the sink, spitting the drink out. “Jaemin, what the fuck is wrong with your coffee?” He panted, only to see the boy in question slapping at his knee as he doubled over with laughter. Jeno took a sip of the drink, slightly choking before forcing himself to swallow it down.

“Well, that’s satan’s nectar.” Jeno coughed, making Jaemin wheeze louder. 

“It’s the eight shots of espresso.” Said Jaemin as he caught his breath and attempted to regain his posture.

“You really do need rehab.” Replied Jeno. “Anyway, do you guys wanna leave now and check out the town or stay here and leave in half an hour?”

_What should Jaemin, Jeno and Renjun do?_

> STAY HOME

> LEAVE NOW


	3. Town Square: Questionnaire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeno didn’t realize he was running until the light started burning his face, no longer flickering. It was red, loud, bigger than him. His breathing was heavy. The light began moving, slowly warping into a sentence as the static only got louder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (warning: blood)
> 
> \- Each boy will complete the questionnaire, and I’ll reveal their answers once it’s relevant. (including the dreamies that werent in this chapter)
> 
> \- the options for jeno to choose from r pretty weird but its important to note that there is always a choice that brings about a better result than the other, but there isnt necessarily a direct "good" or "bad" choice. again, ao3 readers cant vote on this chapter bc the votings done but u can check tumblr for the latest chapter, theres always the option to vote on those.

> NOW PLAYING AS USER #JENO

> 4:15 PM

> YOU chose to LEAVE NOW

> SECRET SCORE: [1/?]

Jeno let his friends’ chatter drown out into white noise as they walked past yet another picturesque pastel home. As he waited for a shift in atmosphere, he couldn’t help but think that misfortune would love to settle into little towns like this, like a morning mist. Because towns like this had so much room for imperfection, so much good for the bad to corrupt. He heard in a show once that it was always little, quiet towns that were best at burying secrets. He thought that was true, no one talks if you don’t talk first. That makes it easier to hide things. This town was much unlike his. It was quiet, eerily so, and the houses looked almost plastic. Like dollhouses. He felt that in any second large hands would descend from the sky, pick him up and sit him down on a dinner table, dress him up, put him to bed. After all, he was in a game, just like a dollhouse. It was odd. When you play a game you’re almost always playing someone else, playing with a little puppet that follows your every order. He was his own puppet here, he was playing himself. His eyes had already grown accustomed to the pattern of pink, blue and yellow walls before his eyes fell on the last house in the neighborhood. The pink walls were coated with vermillion, its windows were shattered and the roof was collapsing in on itself. The front porch was littered with shards of glass, part of the railing completely broken in half. The entire house was screaming “murder!”

“A little early for a halloween special, isn’t it?” Jaemin chuckled, tearing his eyes away from the house and turning to his friends.

“I’m torn between alien invasion or prank.” Replied Renjun, arms crossed and his head cocked to the side. He’s always been deeply interested in conspiracy theories and suspected that alien invasions would eventually become more common place. “I’m not sure aliens can invade video games, though.”

“Do you think this is like, a side story type of thing that comes with the game?” Questioned Jaemin, “The game’s pretty plain, it would make sense for there to be a storyline.” Jaemin had a point. People get bored easily, quickly to move from one thing to another, no matter how well made the first thing is. There’s always something better, something shinier that comes along. Then it loses its shine, everything does. The next best thing fills up the hole it left behind.

“So, we going in or not?” Questioned Jeno, a devious smile gracing lips. “I wanna play.”

“Alright, but you’re on your own with this one.” Said Renjun, eyes widening. “I’ll stay away from anything that even remotely looks like it involves murder.”

Seconds later, all three of them were stepping onto the porch, their weight causing the worn out wood to creak beneath them. Jeno observed the chipped paint, hands lightly tracing over the cracks until the liquid dripping down the wall coated his fingertips. He hesitantly hovered his hand in front of his nostrils, in attempt to smell the substance. Unsurprisingly, he got nothing. It was almost hard to remember he was in a game. By the time he focused his attention back on walking through the house, he could no longer see Jaemin and Renjun beside him. Assuming they were trying to prank him, considering the eerie atmosphere of the house, he continued down the halls in isolation.

Jeno once heard that fear of the dark doesn’t exist, that rather than fearing the dark, humans fear what’s in it. He disagreed with that. He believed that although something unseen residing in the dark is terrifying, fear of the dark touched deeper than that. We aren’t used to darkness. We’re used to dark when we want to sleep, we get darkness when we press a button asking for it. There’s a button for everything now. We don’t see darkness the way we used to. We don’t see it in its entirety, with its gnashing teeth and claws just inches from our necks. Yes, we fear the dark. We fear it not because of the monsters that reside in it, but because of how vulnerable we are once we cant escape it. We fear lack of control.

He still could not sense any signs of his friends. No bickering, no teasing, no muffled giggles. Not only were Jaemin and Renjun silent, but so were his surroundings. No more creaking, no gusts of wind. Silence, unbroken, deafening silence. Jeno continued to walk forward, noting that his footsteps didn’t make any noise. Nothing did. The house was extremely dark, the only source of light was the faint light saturated through the thick curtains covering the windows. He walked into a room, outstretching his arms to prevent himself from bumping into anything. He felt movement, yet his eyes couldn’t adjust to the darkness. Just as he was about to call out to his friends, to tell them that there was nothing of interest in the house, a faint flicker in the distance caught his eye. He walked towards it, but it wasn’t getting any closer. Yet it was pulling him in, he was unable to tear his eyes away and its light only got brighter and brighter until it was almost blinding. The silence was static, it was ringing in his ears and everything was piling up on top of each other in dissonance. Jeno didn’t realize he was running until the light started burning his face, no longer flickering. It was red, loud, bigger than him. His breathing was heavy. The light began moving, slowly warping into a sentence as the static only got louder.

< Hello, Jeno! Welcome to the void. Are you ready for your first task? >

> YES

> NO

“Uh.. First, can you tell me what this is?” Jeno asked as he looked around. He couldn’t make out anything in the darkness. The red light felt hot on his skin.

< Of course! In Unreality, all your choices matter. Your choices so far have lead you to this pathway. Every player has their own unique pathway that they will find at some point during their Unreality gaming experience. Are you ready for your first task? >

> YES

> NO

“Yes.” Said Jeno. He didn’t think much about his response. Every player had a pathway, he assumed Jaemin and Renjun found theirs when they stopped responding to him. Besides, like Jaemin said before, this game would get boring without tasks to complete.

> #JENO chose OPTION #1: YES.

< For your task, you are to choose one of the following orders to execute. Choose wisely. >

> FLIP THE SWITCH NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE TOWN HALL

> BREAK INTO A FRIENDS HOUSE

-

“What took you so long in there?” Renjun questioned as Jeno stepped out of the house. Renjun was leaning on the porch railing, Jaemin seated on it next to him. It seemed as if they’ve been waiting for a while, the sky began to darken.

“I didn’t know you guys already left. On that note, thanks a lot for ditching me in some murder house.” Said Jeno, already walking down the porch stairs, they were going to be late for the questionnaire. Jaemin stumbled down the last step as he tried to keep up with Jeno’s pace, pouting as his two friends laughed at his clumsiness.

“Oh shut up, you’re the one that wanted to go in in the first place, anyway. There weren’t even light switches in there.” Complained Renjun, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“The aliens stole them.” Joked Jaemin, waving his arms animatedly in Renjun’s direction, simply gaining a glare and a slap in the back of the head from the boy.

“Did you guys get your tasks yet?” Interrupted Jeno. His friends’ bickering ceased as they turned their attention back to him, huddling up closer to him.

“Tasks? So I was right about them adding a story line, wasn’t I?” Inquired Jaemin. Jeno nodded, quickly explaining the pathways, and how they would eventually get theirs. They were nearing the town square, a spacious courtyard, already filling up with players. A fountain was situated in the middle of the grounds, large and demanding of attention. In fact, large was an understatement. It was circular, built with seven lion statues within the water. They were roaring, water pouring out of their mouths. They almost looked alive, moving, breathing. Waiting. The three boys stared at the fountain in awe as they approached it.

“Can you draw in this game? I wanna draw this. I’ve never seen a fountain like this before.” Muttered Renjun, observing one of the lions. Some of them seemed more vicious than the others, with their teeth blared and in a stance ready for attack. The one Renjun was so focused on was lying down, eyes closed. It almost looked like him.

“Cool lions, cool fountain. On to more important matters,” Said Jaemin, eyeing Jeno. “What were your tasks?”

“They were kinda dumb. I had to choose between two, f̷̱̞̣̹̂̈́̕ļ̷̛̯̖̼̑̅̈́̚ḯ̸̜͉̯̣̕͝p̵̢̩͕̓͒͌̈́̋̎p̸̩̟̠̈́̄̽̀̚î̷̺͉̯̓̄́͘̕n̷̖͍̻̯̠͉̋͐͋̾̃g̴̣̣̦̭̀̏͐̓̓ ̶̮̻̥̻͊̆̃t̷̽̒̓̚͜h̵̺̠̥̒e̴̮̟͈͑ ̸̡̫̩͎͇̝̑̆͗͒̈͘s̴̮̝̟̏͐w̸̮̠͈̪̆̇í̶̲ţ̸̡͔̓̃͐͠c̴͚̰̥̭̟̻̆̆̅̐̕͘ḫ̸̏ ̴̮̜̖̗̳͒̂̂͝n̸̛̯͗̈̽̓̉ë̸̛̹́̃a̴̖̓̆r̸͕̓̑ ̸̹̱̳͒̂͊̽͜t̴̫̬͔̭̋̃ḣ̴̬̻͎͙̩̇̚̕e̶͇̊̄ ̶̤̏̿̑͋ͅe̶̤͙͚̰͌n̴̲͔͋̎̇t̵̡̧̯͙͑͋͊̽̆̎r̴̜̉̈̈́̋̌͑a̸͔͆n̶͎̤͔̒͒̕ͅc̷̛͎͉̺̑̒͋͠ȩ̶̡́͛ͅ ̶͖͈̈́͝o̵̡̼̱̖̒̾f̴͖̳̣̀̏̑́͜ ̸̘͓̫̱͖̊͜ẗ̶̥̮͇͕̩́̾̅h̴̤̭̼̖̀̈́̈́e̶̢̛̩̯͋̐̕̚ ̸͇̯̠̰́̒̇͂t̷̨͉͓̉̚ͅö̷̢͎̖́̃͋̇̽̔w̷͈̪̑͐̌̋͘n̷̨̥̋̃̇̀̓͋ ̶̯̹̲͕̗̙̌̋̈́̈́̏̆ḩ̸͖̺̖̦̄̎̉̈ā̴͇̥̽l̶̛̙̱̖͒̋̑̋ļ̵̣́̅̽̅,̶̤̜̜̘̼̂̌̾̅̌̓ ̵̡̠̼̜̃̈́̃͛̕ơ̷̺̪̳̑̌͂̓͜r̴̲̼̪̳͊̄̌̀͋ ̴̫̋b̸̨͔̮̋̽̏͆̈́r̷̦̎͗̊ě̷̱̲̰͙̽͊̉͒͂ą̷̩̳̐͆͊̋͐͝ķ̴̛̫͊̔́̆̈́i̵͍̪̫̞͓̹͋̋n̴̨̹͚̻͒̊g̷̗͓͗̒̂ ̸̰̤̋̐̓̈́͝͝ḯ̶͙̘͊́̚̚͜͜n̷̡̑̎̈̏̄t̶̫̗̠͉̃o̴̢̙̬̘̬̒̾͝ ̶̱̉͒̾a̴͍̤̍ ̴̨̨̩̦͇͇̏̈̆̇f̸̖̉ŕ̵̞͇̙̘̦̀̿̆̂̃i̵̼̣̮̦̾ȩ̴͚͖̌ņ̸̟̗̠̆̑͆d̶̪̯̓̽ş̶̪̙́ ̸̟̜̬͑̈́͝ȟ̴͖̫̺̓ṑ̵̯̬̳̱u̴̩̣̰̾̑̑͆s̶̮̲͔̀̓ę̶̛͚̜̺̠́͐̈́.” Replied Jeno.

Renjun and Jaemin’s eyes widened once Jeno told them about his tasks, brows furrowed with utter confusion. Jeno was also confused as to why the tasks were so unusual, especially for a game like this, so their expressions didn’t phase him. He found them quite amusing, at first.

“What did you just say?” Asked Renjun, completely forgetting the fountain he was oh so interested in merely seconds ago. “Could you repeat that?”

“f̷̱̞̣̹̂̈́̕ļ̷̛̯̖̼̑̅̈́̚ḯ̸̜͉̯̣̕͝p̵̢̩͕̓͒͌̈́̋̎p̸̩̟̠̈́̄̽̀̚î̷̺͉̯̓̄́͘̕n̷̖͍̻̯̠͉̋͐͋̾̃g̴̣̣̦̭̀̏͐̓̓ ̶̮̻̥̻͊̆̃t̷̽̒̓̚͜h̵̺̠̥̒e̴̮̟͈͑ ̸̡̫̩͎͇̝̑̆͗͒̈͘s̴̮̝̟̏͐w̸̮̠͈̪̆̇í̶̲ţ̸̡͔̓̃͐͠c̴͚̰̥̭̟̻̆̆̅̐̕͘ḫ̸̏ ̴̮̜̖̗̳͒̂̂͝n̸̛̯͗̈̽̓̉ë̸̛̹́̃a̴̖̓̆r̸͕̓̑ ̸̹̱̳͒̂͊̽͜t̴̫̬͔̭̋̃ḣ̴̬̻͎͙̩̇̚̕e̶͇̊̄ ̶̤̏̿̑͋ͅe̶̤͙͚̰͌n̴̲͔͋̎̇t̵̡̧̯͙͑͋͊̽̆̎r̴̜̉̈̈́̋̌͑a̸͔͆n̶͎̤͔̒͒̕ͅc̷̛͎͉̺̑̒͋͠ȩ̶̡́͛ͅ ̶͖͈̈́͝o̵̡̼̱̖̒̾f̴͖̳̣̀̏̑́͜ ̸̘͓̫̱͖̊͜ẗ̶̥̮͇͕̩́̾̅h̴̤̭̼̖̀̈́̈́e̶̢̛̩̯͋̐̕̚ ̸͇̯̠̰́̒̇͂t̷̨͉͓̉̚ͅö̷̢͎̖́̃͋̇̽̔w̷͈̪̑͐̌̋͘n̷̨̥̋̃̇̀̓͋ ̶̯̹̲͕̗̙̌̋̈́̈́̏̆ḩ̸͖̺̖̦̄̎̉̈ā̴͇̥̽l̶̛̙̱̖͒̋̑̋ļ̵̣́̅̽̅,̶̤̜̜̘̼̂̌̾̅̌̓ ̵̡̠̼̜̃̈́̃͛̕ơ̷̺̪̳̑̌͂̓͜r̴̲̼̪̳͊̄̌̀͋ ̴̫̋b̸̨͔̮̋̽̏͆̈́r̷̦̎͗̊ě̷̱̲̰͙̽͊̉͒͂ą̷̩̳̐͆͊̋͐͝ķ̴̛̫͊̔́̆̈́i̵͍̪̫̞͓̹͋̋n̴̨̹͚̻͒̊g̷̗͓͗̒̂ ̸̰̤̋̐̓̈́͝͝ḯ̶͙̘͊́̚̚͜͜n̷̡̑̎̈̏̄t̶̫̗̠͉̃o̴̢̙̬̘̬̒̾͝ ̶̱̉͒̾a̴͍̤̍ ̴̨̨̩̦͇͇̏̈̆̇f̸̖̉ŕ̵̞͇̙̘̦̀̿̆̂̃i̵̼̣̮̦̾ȩ̴͚͖̌ņ̸̟̗̠̆̑͆d̶̪̯̓̽ş̶̪̙́ ̸̟̜̬͑̈́͝ȟ̴͖̫̺̓ṑ̵̯̬̳̱u̴̩̣̰̾̑̑͆s̶̮̲͔̀̓ę̶̛͚̜̺̠́͐̈́” Repeated Jeno, their confused expressions now mirrored on his own. “What?”

“I think the game’s glitching, we just heard static when you told us your task.” Explained Renjun, Jaemin nodding in agreement. Just as Jeno was about to reply, a voice blared through the town square.

< Players, welcome to the Town Square! Here, all Unreality players will gather for events, to catch up on the latest updates/announcements, or simply to make new friends and hang out! Please make your way into the Town Hall to begin your questionnaire. You will be transported into a private room to complete it, and back into the Town Hall once you are done. >

The boys walk to the town hall in anticipation, discussing what they like and dislike about the game so far. There were more players than they expected, frequently running into friends and acquaintances on the way. Just as the voice in the town square explained, everyone was disappearing into private rooms soon after they stepped into the town hall. As Jeno walked in, he took the chance to look around and find the switch mentioned in his task, although he has yet to decide which one he was going to complete. His eyes quickly landed on a switch next to the front entrance. It had no label, it simply appeared to be some type of light switch. The town hall was nothing short of grand. It was large enough to fit ten times the amount of players that were already in the hall. There were paintings hung up on the walls, paintings by Van Gogh, Picasso, Monet, more than he knew of. Renjun would have a field day looking at them, although they weren’t real, they were extremely realistic for a video game. There was a large chandelier hung up in the middle of the hall, and there were all types of flowers hung up on the walls and cascading down, with neo renaissance inspired architecture and furniture. Before Jeno could admire his surroundings any longer, he was transported into the room he was promised. The room’s theme wasn’t much different from the town hall, there were paintings on the wall and flowers, and Jeno was seated on a comfortable arm chair with a table in front of him, facing an empty wall. Questions began to form on the wall, they appeared to be holograms. The questionnaire has begun.

< Hello, Player #DREAM. Welcome to the questionnaire! Please answer the following questions as honestly as possible. These questions are crucial in order to improve your overall gaming experience. Remember, every choice you make will determine your fate and the fate of those around you. >

> QUESTION #1: Would you completely erase your current life to live a new one?

> QUESTION #2: Do you have any regrets?

> QUESTION #3: If you were to disappear tomorrow, would anybody notice? 

> QUESTION #4: Would you rather kill or be killed?

> QUESTION #5: How do you know you’re real?


	4. 5:05 PM

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He saw all black suits and burial grounds, the vivid feeling of wanting to pry the ache out of his body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (warning: injury description and blood)
> 
> \- choices affect the players’ health (any injuries they sustain will lower their health), nerve (Basically mental health. Their ability to survive when in dangerous or stressful situations will mainly be based on their nerve) and relationships (they need to maintain strong bonds to be able to go through the game together. The more split up they are and the less trust they have in each other, the more likely things are to go wrong)
> 
> \- I know some parts of this chapter are vague and maybe confusing, but if you have any questions then don’t be afraid to ask! Be it about the boys, the game, the story itself or.. Anything, really! omg theories would be cool too!

> NOW PLAYING AS USER #RENJUN

> 5:05 PM

> SECRET SCORE: [2/?]

Silence followed the questionnaire. It was as if it had materialized into a large, unyielding fist, molding itself around Renjun’s throat, grip tightening by the second. His breaths were rapid, hands clamming up at his sides and eyes darting around in search of his friends, or rather, in hopes to find his reaction mirrored in someone else’s features. Renjun’s eyes landed on Heejin from his math class, who made the torturous hour long lectures more bearable with her sense of humor. They sat next to each other frequently, building a friendship off of missed homework and a little cheating during tests. He expected some sort of relatable reaction from her, an exaggerated set of wide eyes and lifted brows or an overdramatic flinch Yet once their eyes met, she simply smiled, waved, and turned to walk in a different direction. The same instance repeated with Hyunjoon from art class. His entire demeanor was off, eyes more distant than he’s ever seen them. Renjun’s panicked state only intensified with every nonchalant reaction he was faced with, barely able to keep his hands from shaking. Something was wrong.

_“Would you rather kill or be killed?” The robotic, disembodied voice asked as the same question took shape on the wall in front of him. The letters glitched as they manifested, the voice cutting off in unison with the occasional errors that occurred as the words formed. Renjun’s heart skipped a beat._

_He managed to choke out a barely audible “What?” that the game had no issue identifying. His fingers tapped anxiously on the table in front of him._

_“Would you rather kill or be killed?” Repeated the voice. The words displayed on the wall flashed red, now accompanied with a timer. 30 seconds._

_“I-I would rather..” His breath caught in his throat. 25 seconds. His mind raced, ‘kill or be killed?’ ‘kill or be killed?’ ‘kill or be killed?’ ‘kill or be killed?’ Did he have it in him to kill anybody? Did he value his life enough to take away someone else’s? 10 seconds._

_He took a deep breath. 5 seconds._

_“Kill.”_

Sonorous laughter penetrated the thick air. Renjun’s ears perked up, moving through the crowd in the direction of the noise. Donghyuck’s laugh was a memorable one, and Renjun was certain that was his. The laugh was followed by a faint punching noise, presumably Mark, and an extensive series of ‘Ouch’s and complaints by none other than Donghyuck followed. Those two were inseparable, and difficult to miss in a crowd. The pair spotted Renjun quickly, waving him over to where they were standing. They were situated in the middle of the hall, an extravagant chandelier hanging down above them.

“Thank god you’re here!” Donghyuck beamed, “If I have to listen to another second of this pussy’s complaints I’m resetting my game and joining another server.” He glared at Mark as he said ‘pussy’, clearly amused by his friend’s reactions. Mark looked completely done with him, which wasn’t very unusual, considering Donghyuck was consistently on a mission to get him to snap.

“There’s no way to reset the game or join another server, dumbass.” Mark retorted, adjusting his glasses, to which Donghyuck only rolled his eyes. He turned his attention to Renjun, who in his sudden reticence had yet to say a word, sensing the tension between the two. “What the fuck was that questionnaire? God, it got me like.. questioning why I was born and shit.” Mark looked completely out of it, hair a mess from running his hand through it too often, eyes wide and searching for a response. Renjun released a breath he’d been holding in for longer than he cared to know, relieved that someone other than himself had something to say about the questions they had no choice but to answer.

“Okay, so I wasn’t the only one with questions that have absolutely nothing to do with the game.” He replied. “I just- I can’t think of a reason for them to want to know any of these things.” Renjun shifted his weight as he wondered what the purpose of the questions were, still unsure of what to make of the situation. Nonetheless, he was thankful for his slowing heartbeat, as he’d felt it hammering in his chest for far too long. He was sure, however, that the game was definitely not what him and his friends assumed it would be. It wasn’t what the developers marketed it to be, either. The image of the wrecked house him, Jaemin and Jeno wandered into resurfaced in his mind, its bloody walls and broken windows clearly contrasting the other houses in the neighbourhood. He quickly brushed it off, deciding it had nothing to do with the issue at hand.

“To me, it just felt like a shitty Until Dawn therapist scene remake.” Interjected Donghyuck. “I mean, come on, October is coming up- so, halloween is soon!” He snapped his fingers, a comical grin spreading across his features, “Boom, Case of the Creepy Questionnaire: Solved by Lee Donghyuck. You’re welcome.” Mark looked as if he were inwardly trying to convince himself not to deck his best friend in the face, but settled for a roll of his eyes.

“All I’m saying is, I thought this game was meant for decorating your house and, I don’t know, dyeing your hair ugly colors without having it fall out, not committing mass murder.” Groaned Renjun, lightly rubbing the back of his neck, which was beginning to feel sore. He’d probably shifted into an uncomfortable position in real life while playing, which was slightly unsettling as he was now completely unaware of his surroundings back in reality.

“Moving on!” Mark exclaimed with a clap of his hands, “It’s over now, so let’s forget about it. Where are Jaemin and Jeno? You were with them earlier, yeah?” He questioned, his demeanor already seeming more relaxed than it was previously. Donghyuck’s (pretty foolish, in Renjun’s opinion) explanation seemed to calm his nerves, at least for the time being.

“I was, but I lost them after the Questionnaire.” Responded Renjun, his eyes returning to scanning the crowd. “Do you think they’re still-” A blast of electricity erupted from above Renjun, stopping him mid sentence. The lights in the hall abruptly shut off. After a few moments of stunned silence, It felt as if the whole building had begun to shake. Crepitation of grating metal agonized his ears, squeezing his eyes shut as they began to ring as if it could soothe the forming pain. The chandelier that had been hanging above the boys’ heads began to rock furiously, its creaks reverberating throughout the hall. Renjun could hear the chain connecting the chandelier to the ceiling beginning to break off. Panic rose in his chest. The structure shook above him, back and forth, showing no sign of stopping. His muscles tightened, he tried to move, his mind screaming at his body to get out of its range. He remained rooted at his spot, as if a force held him mercilessly in place. The crystals hanging off of the chandelier were flying off, flung across all directions in the hall. There was movement all around him, the crowd rushing to get out of the chandelier’s shadow, but all he could register was the breaking glass and screams. The creaking grew louder by the second. Someone grabbed Renjun’s arm. They pulled, begging him to get out of the way. The chandelier fell, quickly and all too silently, and it took Renjun with it.

-

> PLAYING AS USER #JENO

> 5:05 PM

> 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO TASK COMPLETION

As Jeno was transported back into the hall after completing the questionnaire, all thoughts about the absurdity of the questions he was asked escaped him. He stood almost face to face with the switch. He thought it was the game taunting him, reminding him of what he was too hesitant to do. ‘What could go wrong?’ he thought, it’s part of the gameplay, a way to progress whatever storyline the game had in store for him. Then again, he could simply ignore it, if he wasn’t interested in progressing through his pathway. Jeno thought it was somewhat ridiculous how much he was overthinking this, he would’ve flipped the switch already if it were any other game. Although, it was easy to forget that Unreality was only a game- its ability to replicate all senses except smell along with its realistic graphics made it difficult to differentiate from reality. Jeno briefly scanned his surroundings, making sure no one was paying attention to what he was about to do. If something went wrong, or if flipping the switch was the wrong choice, he did not want to be held accountable for it. A few taps on his shoulder interrupted him before he could extend his hand to flip the switch. Jeno turned around to see Jaemin eyeing him with an overly skeptical expression. His friend knew him too well, he almost had a sixth sense for when Jeno was up to something and was always there to either enable or stop him.

“Yo,” Greeted Jaemin as Jeno turned around. “should I be concerned that you’re staring at a wall, or is that just a thing you do now?” He chuckled, studying Jeno’s expression with a cocked eyebrow and crossed arms. His signature ‘If you think you’re going to do whatever dumb thing it is you’re about to do alone, then you’re wrong’ face.

“Yes, this is a thing I do when I contemplate wether I would kill someone or let them kill me first.” Jeno replied, acutely aware of Jaemin’s unconvinced expression. He leaned his back against the wall, making sure not to accidentally hit the switch. Breaking into Jaemin’s house currently didn’t seem like such a bad idea, although that option was now completely out of the picture, with Jaemin already suspicious of him.

“Uh huh..” Nodded Jaemin slowly, his index finger tapping his chin a few times as his gaze landed on the switch. The invisible lightbulb floating on top of his head lit brighter than ever. “You know, you never told me your task.”

“I mean, didn’t you say you heard static or something, when I tried telling you?” Jeno responded. “I don’t think you’re meant to know-“

“Blah, blah, blah,” Interrupted Jaemin, rolling his eyes “Just tell me, it could’ve been a glitch, it might work now.” Jeno remained unconvinced, and Jaemin resorted to using his infamous pleading puppy aegyo until Jeno would repent and tell him his task. To which he did, unsurprisingly. This time, it was said with no interferences, much to Jeno’s surprise.

“I told you it was a glitch.” Jaemin said with a smug smile spread across his cheeks, “Also, if you break into my house I will kill you. Literally.”

“More like figuratively; we’re in a game, I won’t actually die.” Jeno corrected, to which simply Jaemin rolled his eyes, muttering a ‘nerd’ that Jeno chose to ignore. “Should I flip the switch, then?”

“Duh, unless you wanna break into Renjun’s house-“ Jaemin paused, “wait, where is he anyway?” He questioned, now looking around the hall with a slight pout, squinting his eyes as he studied the crowd.

“Probably still doing the questionnaire, a lot of players are still missing.” Jeno observed the hall, which wasn’t as full as it was when they had first entered it. It was likely Renjun took longer with the questions. They were heavy, for a lack of better word, and Renjun was prone to overthinking. “Ok, well I’m gonna flip it now. Can I get a drumroll, please?” Smirked Jeno, now fully straightened up with his sight fixed on the switch.

Jaemin drew his attention back to Jeno, rapidly patting his hands on his thighs in attempt to mimic a drumroll, lightly chanting ‘flip it, flip it!’

And so he did.

The lights on the chandelier exploded, a flash of light penetrating the room before darkness replaced it. Jeno instantly reached his hand out towards Jaemin, gripping onto his sleeve. He felt his friend’s shoulders shake as he laughed at Jeno’s panic.

“Pussy.” Jaemin snickered, “It was just a light switch, and you somehow wrecked the chandelier. That’s fun. Good job Jeno!” Jeno punched his shoulder to shut him up, he could make out Jaemin gripping his shoulder and grimacing in the dark as he laughed. The crowd in the hall had began to stir, unsettled by the sudden darkness. Just as Jeno was about to flip the switch back on, a familiar hologram appeared in front of him, accompanied by the same robotic voice from the questionnaire.

> #JENO chose OPTION #1: FLIP THE SWITCH NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE TOWN HALL.

< Congratulations on completing your first task, J̷̖͛e̶̯͛n̷̹̂ò̶͇! Do you think you made the r̷i̵g̴h̴t̸ ̸c̷h̵o̷i̸c̷e̴? Remember, e̵v̵e̶r̴y̶ action has its c̷͇̓ö̸̦́ṅ̷͓s̷̠̎e̸̯̓q̷͖̔u̸̬̕e̶̦͗n̸͖̈c̸͓̈́ë̷͖́s̶͙̽, no matter how ĭ̴̡̱̀n̷̙̔͑s̴̤̍̄i̸̻͑g̶͕͇̈́ń̶̝i̵̤͛̓f̸̮̹̏i̷̝̎̽c̷̮ͅa̵̡̺͂n̸̦̲̽ț̸͉̾̕ it may seem. Keep an eye out for your next task! It’s going to be a tough one. B̶e̴ ̴c̷a̵r̸e̶f̶u̸l̷, or else you may not be able to keep up. W̸͍̙̔͑e̶͍̤͛͝ don’t want that, do we, J̴̨͍̬̫̗͂̄̊̂͐̀̍̑̅͋ͅẹ̸̢̩͖͙͖͙͙̟̞͇̒̑͌̈́̊̉͝ͅͅǹ̷̨̞̟͉̼͈͓͓͙̮̗̐ọ̸̎? >

As the voice spoke, voicing out the hologram, it almost sounded human. It was only when it glitched, disembodied and grating on Jeno’s ears, did he remember it was a mere machine. Jeno felt the urgent tugging on his arm and heard the sound of screams following echoes of shattering glass as the hologram began to fade. “What the fuck is going on?” He gasped, unable to read Jaemin’s facial expression. The hall felt darker than it was previously.

“The chandelier, it’s-“ A crystal flew directly into their way, Jaemin pushing Jeno and himself away just as it shattered on impact to the wall they were standing in front of. “It’s about to fall, we need to get out now.”

A green light suddenly illuminated Jaemin’s face, and he pointed to something just behind Jeno. An exit sign had just lit up. The boys quickly made their way to it, the chaos not far behind them as other players shuffled towards the exit. The town square had darkened. The sun had began to set, tinting the sky purple and orange. Jeno took a deep breath, and the lack of fresh air was almost jarring.

“Do you think everyone’s okay?” Jeno asked after a few minutes of silence, him and Jaemin sat on a bench to recollect their breath as they watched the light slowly fade out of the sky.

“It’s just a game, there isn’t even a health stat or anything as far as I’m aware. It’s not a big deal.” Jaemin said, “But we can feel pain within the game, that alone is scary enough.” Jeno recalled the punch he blew to Jaemin’s shoulder, how he winced. He pinched himself lightly, as if to make sure if he were dreaming, tight enough for it to hurt. And it did. He could feel the pain he inflicted on himself inside the game. He wasn’t sure what to make of it all.

“That’s weird. How does that even work if we aren’t even moving in real life?” Jeno questioned. Jaemin had been interested in game mechanics for years, which was the main reason he wanted to play Unreality. It replicated real life to a point that no one thought would be possible. He was determined to figure out how, solely out of interest. “Like, is it even possible to just generate pain?”

“I guess the headset is in some way connected to some part of our pain receptors, and it sort of- I don’t know, mimics real pain? Like, when we’re hurt in the game, it tricks us into thinking we’re actually in pain. So we feel it.” Jaemin looked uncertain, as if he were forming his thoughts as he spoke, head rested on Jeno’s shoulder as he looked up at the clouds. Just as Jeno was about to respond, they heard a crash resound through the hall. Shattered glass and clanging metal on marble flooring. Jeno winced at the how loud it had been, Jaemin chuckled once he saw his reaction but decided against teasing him about it.

“Okay but, like.. what’s the point?” Jeno muttered. Jaemin lifted his head up from Jeno’s shoulder before facing him again. He opened his mouth to speak before shutting it again, his head back into his seemingly never-ending thoughts about game mechanics. “I just don’t get why thats necessary, y’know? What if someone, like, stabbed their friend just because they didn’t know it would actually hurt? What would happen then?”

“I doubt a game could mimic the pain of a stab wound that well, and I also doubt anyone would do that.” Jaemin responded, “What, were you planning to stab me?” He said, nudging Jeno’s shoulder as he insisted he would never do such a thing. Just as they decided to get up and explore the rest of the town, their names were called from behind them.

Renjun’s arms were slung around Donghyuck and Mark’s shoulders as they dragged him out of the town hall. Donghyuck’s rapid breaths were audible even from a distance, he gently pushed Renjun’s hair out of his face as he set him down on the bench. The color was almost completely drained from Renjun’s face, he was shaking lightly as perspiration dripped down his neck. Donghyuck pressed his fingers to Renjun’s wrist, checking for his pulse, mumbling something about how it was too low for it to be safe. He covered his face with his hands and turned away, shoulders heaving. Jeno and Jaemin rushed to the bench, waiting for Mark to explain what had happened.

“The chandelier fell on him, he’s… not in good shape.” Said Mark, glancing at Donghyuck uneasily before turning to Jeno and Jaemin, who were now stood frozen at Renjun’s side. He was completely unconscious, eyes shut tight as if he were faced with monsters he’d rather remain blinded to. He was almost unrecognizable. “His ankle is seriously injured, he fainted right when it fell on him, too. I tried covering the wound as best as I could, but.. I didn’t do a great job.” Mark elaborated, taking off his smudged glasses and wiping them clean with his shirt. His hands were jittery, he eyes darted everywhere but down at his best friend’s unconscious body.

Jeno dropped to the floor near Renjun’s left ankle, it was roughly bandaged with what seemed to be fabric ripped off from a shirt. Blood was seeping through the material. He began to undo the knot tied around the wound, looking up at the pair who brought Renjun in to check for their reactions beforehand. Mark nodded, Jeno had just noticed that one of his sleeves was ripped off. Donghyuck remained turned away from his injured friend, his shoulders shook violently as Jaemin gently rubbed his arm to calm him down, assuring him Renjun would be okay. Jaemin’s eyes were watery as he looked back at Renjun’s limp body. The cloth was now left on the ground, Renjun’s bloody ankle in full view. Raw, vermilion flesh split open, littered with shards of glass. Bruising was forming on his pink, agitated skin. Jeno couldn’t tell how deep the wound was. Only that it was bad. Really, really bad. His head began to spin, unable to recognize wether the glitches that began forming on the wound were reality or his own imagination. It was as if the game was truly mocking him this time, saying ’What? So upset over a game?’ in the form of distortion. He closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths in attempt to force down the bile surfacing in his throat.

“Listen,” Began Mark, leaning down beside Jeno, hesitantly placing a warm hand on his shoulder, “he’ll be okay. It’s a pretty heavy injury and it must’ve, I don’t know, emptied his health or energy bar or something. It’s just a game, remember? There’s even a hospital just around the corner for incidents just like this, we could-”

“This.. this is my fault.” Interrupted Jeno, shaking his head as he picked up the discarded bloody cloth. He studied it as if it could tell him otherwise, as if it wasn’t a confirmation that it was, in fact, his fault. A confirmation stained in his best friend’s blood. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Renjun’s face as he gently wrapped the bandage back around his ankle, unable to do any more to help him. Donghyuck’s shadow loomed over him as he did so, contemplating Jeno’s every move.

“What do you mean it’s your fault?” Insisted Donghyuck, closing in on Jeno with trembling lips and tear stained cheeks. He was shaking, his hands trembling at his sides. Donghyuck clenched his fists, now directly in front of Jeno’s crouched frame. Jeno remained still, completely unmoving. He looked smaller than he really was with his head dipped downwards and eyes so distant. “Answer me, Jeno. What do you mean it’s your fault? What did you do to him?” Donghyuck was fuming, breathing uneven and heavy. Jaemin held his arm, quietly telling him to calm down, to breathe, yet his attempts proved futile. Donghyuck ripped his arm out of Jaemin’s grasp, eyes trained heavily on Jeno. He repeated his question. Jeno stood up, turning towards Donghyuck. Mark inched closer to him, alarmed by the state they were both in.

When Jeno spoke, he could barely process the words that left his lips as his own. He sounded almost robotic as he recalled his task, recalled the choice he made. The wrong choice. “I- it’s my fault. I flipped the switch, the chandelier, it fell- the switch made it break and fall and.. it was because of me. He’s hurt because of me.” He choked, whatever dam that held back his guilt ridden tears had broken, his last words a mere whisper. Sobs overtook his body until his knees could barely support his weight, so choked up he was unable to breathe. His vision was blurred, all water and pixels, blinding red pixels. He could hear Donghyuck’s enraged voice and Mark’s futile attempts at calming him down. Jaemin was now at Jeno’s side, holding him tight, assuring him it wasn’t his fault, assuring him that they could fix this, assuring him that he would be okay, drowning out the chaos around him. He let Jaemin’s words soothe him.

When Jeno’s eyes fluttered open, he found himself back on the floor, cradled in his best friend’s arms. His head was pounding, he could feel his tears drying on his cheeks. Donghyuck sat closed eyed on the bench next to Renjun’s unconscious form, Mark standing nearby fiddling with his game settings that were generated in a hologram in front of him. Jaemin turned to Jeno, who clumsily shuffled away from him, trying regain his composure. The crimson pixels were gone.

“Feeling better?” Jaemin asked with a warm smile. Jeno nodded, patting his friend’s thigh lightly before standing up. Jaemin got up soon after him. The town square was empty except for the five of them. The sun had set completely, the moon barely visible behind the grey clouds crowding around it. A few vintage street lights lit up the area, casting a sickening amber glow over the large square, almost warping the boys’ features. Donghyuck opened his eyes in response to the sudden movement, glancing at Jeno before lowering his gaze to his feet. He fiddled with his fingers before standing up, taking small steps towards Jeno, who stood staring at the lion fountain situated in the middle of the hall. Jaemin sat in Donghyuck’s spot. He placed Renjun’s head in his lap, lightly combing his hand through his messy hair, his expression unreadable.

“I’m sorry,” said Donghyuck, almost under his breath as he stood beside Jeno. “I shouldn’t have.. went off on you like that.” Jeno remained motionless, and Donghyuck didn’t know how to lighten the situation for once. So he continued. “I just- seeing him like that, I couldn’t help but think of..” He trailed off, his breath catching in his throat. He saw all black suits and burial grounds, the vivid feeling of wanting to pry the ache out of his body.

“Jisung.” Jeno finished, turning to look at Donghyuck. “I know. Me too. I think all of us did.” He put his arm around Donghyuck, who wiped away a stray tear that had trailed down his cheek.

“It’s hard, so hard without him, Jeno.” Said Donghyuck, now eye to eye with Jeno. “I can’t lose anyone else. I won’t.” His gaze was almost wild, eyes burning with desperation that Jeno couldn’t bear the burden of.

“We won’t, Hyuck. We’ll be okay.” He responded. It was like tying a shiny decorative ribbon around a present to your future self, ignoring the fact that the contents inside were rotting by the second and would be nothing but filth when unwrapped.

A hazy groan followed by a series of curses broke the silence that befell the group. “Guys, get over here.” Called out Jaemin, bringing everyone’s attention to Renjun writhing in pain in between his arms.

Renjun was now conscious, hands gripping his left calf as he looked down at the blood stained cloth wrapped around his ankle. The shock of the fall and his unconsciousness shielded him from processing the pain for a while, but it didn’t hold back the violent waves of pain that befell him once he’d awoken.“It hurts so much,” Renjun inhaled sharply, rocking slightly as he spoke as if to comfort himself, “if it’s just a game, why in the hell does it hurt so much?” His face twisted in raw pain that no game could simply generate.

“We’ll get you to the hospital, they can revive your health stats and you’ll be as good as new.” Said Jaemin, standing up and gesturing for Jeno to help him lift Renjun up. Jeno didn’t move, looking to Renjun for permission beforehand. He tended to tense up under pressure, unable to make up his mind on what to do as every possible bad ending played in his head. He couldn’t see a good one coming out of this situation. Jaemin, on the other hand, seemed to have everything figured out. A step ahead of everyone else. Donghyuck was completely silent, lost in his thoughts and suddenly speechless as Mark stood next to him checking the game’s map for the location of the hospital.

“No, guys,” disagreed Renjun, jerking his arms away from Jaemin. His hands tightly grasped onto the bench beneath him. He looked up at his friends, never looking as helpless as he did at that moment. With his eyes wide and pleading, he said “I don’t wanna play anymore- I’m scared, I don’t know what’s happening to me, okay? I just.. I just want to go home.”

H̷̻́͋̚e̷͖͔͊̽̕̚͘͝ stood idly, watching them contemplate their next decision. H̷̻́͋̚e̷͖͔͊̽̕̚͘͝ thought of all that was left unburied, or rather, that they hadn’t buried properly. The unburied refused oblivion, h̵͚̣̕ḙ̸̛̐̓͋͗ was aware of that, the absence it left behind refused to be forgotten.

What should Mark, Renjun, Jeno, Donghyuck and Jaemin do?

> GO TO THE HOSPITAL

> QUIT UNREALITY

-

[NOTIFICATION] New Feature! Would you like to view player stats?

> YES

> NO

[NOTIFICATION] You have unlocked [2] secrets!

> SECRET 1

> SECRET 2


	5. (CHARACTER STATS + SECRETS)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> these will be updated after every chapter from now on!

**PLAYER STATS**

USER #MARK

Health: 98%

Nerve: 92%

Relationships:

\- Renjun: 100%  
\- Jeno: 96%  
\- Donghyuck: 100%  
\- Jaemin: 100%

USER #RENJUN

Health: 61%

Nerve: 54%

Relationships:

\- Mark: 100%  
\- Jeno: 81%  
\- Donghyuck: 100%  
\- Jaemin: 92%

USER #JENO

Health: 100%

Nerve: 83%

Relationships:

\- Mark: 100%  
\- Renjun: 100%  
\- Donghyuck: 86%  
\- Jaemin: 100%

USER #DONGHYUCK

Health: 97%

Nerve: 74%

Relationships:

\- Mark: 100%  
\- Renjun: 100%  
\- Jeno: 72%  
\- Jaemin: 96%

USER #JAEMIN

Health: 100%

Nerve: 93%

Relationships:

\- Mark: 100%  
\- Renjun: 100%  
\- Jeno: 100%  
\- Donghyuck: 97%

**SECRETS**

SECRET 1: Every player has their own designated pathway, one that determines their fate not only within the game, but out of it. You call the shots. Making the wrong choice results in their suffering. Making wrong choices continuously may result in a GAME FAILURE. GAME FAILURE should be avoided at all costs. GAME FAILURE results in further buried truth. Make the right choice, find out the truth, win the game. WHO WINS AND WHO FAILS DEPENDS SOLELY ON YOUR CHOICES. 

SECRET 2: Is anyone who you really think they are? Strangers, acquaintances, close friends. Can any of them be trusted? Don’t let yourself be lured into false security, but don’t shut someone out due to unproven suspicion. Nothing is ever as it seems. Are you who you think you are?


End file.
